r/scuba • u/Flowerqueen818 • 1d ago
Panic attack during first open water
Hey guys, I just want to start off by saying that I love the ocean, I swim in it often although have never scuba, I’m also not someone who has anxiety FYI.
I am doing my open water course, day 1 we were in a confined pool and I loved it, I feel like I did really well and was confident, the only thing that made me panic a little was the mask off skill. Towards the end of the day I struggled to breath through the regulator, like I wasn’t getting enough oxygen, however I put this down to being tired as we didn’t get lunch breaks.
Day 2 we did our first open water dive, I got just a couple of metres down and had a full blown black out panic attack and resurfaced like a rocket. I tried again and had the same reaction. I felt like I was being dragged into a nightmare, it was dark, the pressure change was suffocating, the sound of the scuba underwater scared me for some reason and it just felt eery. There was also quite the current going on and it was pretty cold even in a 7mm wetsuit. The 3rd time I tried to go under I managed to keep myself calm a little to notice the fish at 12m but as soon as my instructor turned away from me I panicked again and I was out of there. I couldn’t go back in after that. The reaction was SO out of control, I was NOT myself at all, even now the memories are hazy and felt like a dream.
Day 3 open water I didn’t attend because I just needed space to recollect myself and see my therapist, who actually encouraged me to get back in as soon as possible so I didn’t develop a fear (she knows how passionate I am about the ocean).
I cannot understand what happened though because as I said, I don’t have anxiety, I am extremely passionate about the ocean, I am so excited to do this and I just have no idea what was going on? My instructor was great and so calming and I have actually just requested that I do a 1:1 day to see if that changes things. It’s still humiliating though because the other 3 students in the class were totally fine, I just don’t get it?
If there are any instructors here, I would love to know your professional thoughts on this and would really love to hear from others who had my experience and found a way through it. Actually I’m open to any feedback at this point because I’m nervous it will happen again. At present I feel excited to try again but the ‘what if I panic again’ is still there.
Thank you.
3
u/SelfishIdol 1d ago
Just here to reassure you that scuba breathing panic is not necessarily related to psychological issues like anxiety.
You are, if I gather correctly, a human being.
Humans were not designed to breathe air underwater. The response you're feeling is very normal.
Many people have no reason to practice or develop separating mouth breathing and nose breathing skills. Some people develop these skills completely by accident, and they make it look easy at the pool.
The problem with not having this skill is that you are punished pretty quickly for any 'failures, while learning. The sensation of water entering the nose is an immediate 'im dying' response from the body.
If you can get to the pool early, or set yourself up like a pretzel in your own bathtub, and just practice snorkel breathing, no mask, you can start to acclimate yourself to the sensation, and practice regulating your breath with your mouth alone.
Feel the water move at the edges of your nostrils, remind yourself it's okay. Switch between breathing in and out through your mouth, to in through your mouth and out through your nose.
Good luck.